Summer vacation is a time for breaking away from routine and enjoying the sun and warm weather. However, now is not the time to neglect learning. Preventing learning loss and preparing your child for the next school year is important. Here are suggestions on how to keep your child learning throughout the summer and get them excited for fall.
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Summer Learning
Summer learning does not need to look anything like school. One of the best and easiest ways to keep the learning going is to read. Make it fun. Put up a reading tent or gather pillows and blankets for a reading corner. Set aside a small amount each time for reading. Have the kids read to you and you to them. Consider bringing a book or magazine to reading time.
Did your child take a particular interest in anything during the school year? For example, did they enjoy the space unit or the unit on plants? Continue to nurture those interests throughout the summer. Encourage your child to create a solar system for their bedroom or plant a pizza garden. Nurturing their interest will provide learning opportunities without taking the fun out of it.
A simple way to sneak some learning into the day is through activity sheets and summer workbooks. Have your child work on activity sheets in between fun activities. Some children may find it fun to have a workbook to work in for a short time each day.
Getting Excited For Fall
As summer winds down, it is time to prepare for the start of the new school year. There are things you can do to help get the kids excited to go back to school. First, start getting back into the school schedule. It takes approximately three weeks to adjust to a new schedule. Start easing kids back into a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule. Getting them out of bed may be the hard part. Have a fun art project waiting, for example, to encourage them to get up on time.
Reconnect your kids with some of their classmates. Reconnecting with friends will help to ease the anxiety of going to school. Also, some schools have a meet-the-teacher day right before school starts. Attending will enable your child to see their classroom and meet other classmates.
Get the kids involved in the back-to-school shopping. Ask them to make a list of items they would like to have. Check with the school to see if they have a required supply list. Give the kids the sales flyers and determine what store is having sales on the items they want.
As the first day gets closer, plan some back-to-school activity. Create a paper chain in school colors to count down to the first day of school. Allow your children to decorate their room in spirit gear, including flags, banners, and streamers. If your school has spirit gear, purchase some shirts for your children. The night before the first day of school can fill the kids with excitement and anxiety. Have some books or a quiet activity ready to help your children to calm down before bedtime.
Do not forget the first day of school photo. Also, plan a fun dinner for the first day and be ready to hear about their day.
